Problem: Find the distance between the points (-8, 5) and (2, -4). ${1}$ ${2}$ ${3}$ ${4}$ ${5}$ ${6}$ ${7}$ ${8}$ ${9}$ ${10}$ ${\llap{-}2}$ ${\llap{-}3}$ ${\llap{-}4}$ ${\llap{-}5}$ ${\llap{-}6}$ ${\llap{-}7}$ ${\llap{-}8}$ ${\llap{-}9}$ ${\llap{-}10}$ ${1}$ ${2}$ ${3}$ ${4}$ ${5}$ ${6}$ ${7}$ ${8}$ ${9}$ ${10}$ ${\llap{-}2}$ ${\llap{-}3}$ ${\llap{-}4}$ ${\llap{-}5}$ ${\llap{-}6}$ ${\llap{-}7}$ ${\llap{-}8}$ ${\llap{-}9}$ ${\llap{-}10}$ $(-8, 5)$ $(2, -4)$ $10$ $9$
Change in $x$ (-8) 10 Change in $y$ (-4) The distance is the length of the hypotenuse of this right triangle. By the Pythagorean Theorem, that length is equal to: $\sqrt{10^2 + 9^2}$ $= \sqrt{181}$